Combination overvoltage protective device and conductor support



March 25, 1969` E. n.. sANKEY ETAL 3,435,397

COMBINATION OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTIVE DEVICE AND CONDUCTOR SUPPORT Filed Feb. 14, 1966 Wi @y mv/T n www r NNO 0 E 7 VM ,C m .s w

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u RUM United States Patent O 3,435,397 COMBINATION OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTIVE DEVICE AND CONDUCTOR SUPPORT Edward L. Sankey, New Berlin, and Herman O. Stoelting,

Cudahy, Wis., assignors to McGraw-Edison Company,

Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 527,216 Int. Cl. H01h 39/00 U.S. Cl. 337-34 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates to electrical transmission and distribution systems and more particularly to a combined arrester and conductor support for such systems. Using a combined arrester and conductor support it is possible to realize an economic saving over the use of separate pieces of equipment and it is also possible to mprove the a-sthetics of the system by avoiding the use of additional pieces of equipment. A further benefit is achieved by minimizing the amount of space used on the pole by equipment to permit more eective utilization of existing pole space which also alords easier access to the pole mounted equipment for service.

In the combined arrester line support insulator of applicants -invention an arrester mechanism is provided within a porcelain conductor supporting insulator which is mounted on a pole about a mid-portion of the porcelain body. The unit is in practice mounted to dispose the conductor support location at the same height as the adjoining insulators to thereby maintain the uniformity of the system.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combined arrester and conductor support that eliminates the use of separate pieces of equipment and can be substituted where desired for line support insulators.

IIt is a further object of this invention to provide a combined insulator support compatable with the adjoining conductor support members.

It is also an object yof this invention to provi-de a combined arrester support which can be used to eliminate the necessity of mounting arresters on distribution transformers.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 shows an elevation view of the combined line post insulator and arrester embodying the present invention mounted on a pole and supporting an uninsulated conductor;

FIG. 2 shows the insulator arrester of FIG. 1 partly in section and partly broken away; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken along line 3 of FIG. l.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings the combined insulatorarrester is secured at the top of the pole by a bracket 12. A housing is provided by a tubular member 14 formed ICC of glazed Wet processed porcelain which has a vertically extending interior wall surface 15 defining a passageway extending therethrough. A series of skirts 16 formed on the upper exterior portion of the housing provide an extended porcelain surface between the supported conductor and mounting bracket 12. The arrester mechanism is mounted within the housing and comprises a series of gap members underlying which are valve block elements which structure is indicated by the dotted line portion 18 concentrically spaced within the housing as shown in FIG. 2. An upper terminal member 20l is provided which is connected to a lower electrode 22 by a flat head screw 24. The opening of the top of the porcelain housing 14 is sealed by a terminal gasket 23 which is retained between the housing surface 25 and the terminal member 20. The screw 24 draws the terminal member 2,0` and the lower electrode 22 toward one another with the gasket 23, housing wall portion and gaskets 26 compressed in mutually sealing engagement therebetween. The supported conductor 27 is positioned in the conductor support groove 2.8 and secured in position by atie member 30 commonly formed of metal or plastic material which wraps around the insulator top portion in the groove 32 and has both end portions disposed with helical convolutions positioned around the conductor in the conventional manner. A positive electrical contact is assured between the lconductor 27 and the contact surface of the terminal by a cable contact which includes a washer 3-6 and a spring mem-ber 3S that in the assembled condition has one leg secured to the washer and the other leg biased against the contact surface of terminal member 20 to provide a positive electrical connection with the upper terminal, lower terminal and therethrough to arrester mechanism 18. At the lower end of the porcelain housing is a cap member 401 which is at its upper margins turned back over the lower end of porcelain housing 14 to positively interconnect it to the housing. Supported on and downwardly depending from the cap 40 is the isolator 44 and from the isolator extends a conductor member 46 which serves as a ground lead.

As those skilled in the art will appreciate, an isolator is a device which separates the internal arrester components from the ground line 26 in the event that the arrester fails. As those skilled in the art will also appreciate, when valve type lightning arresters fail they provide a short circuit path thereacross. If the isolator 44 were not present, therefore, a short circuit would be presented between the line 27 and ground, so that operation of another protective device, such as a circuit breaker or a fuse would be required in order to open circuit the line 27. However, because the isolator 44 will disconnect the lightning arrester components from the ground line 26 in the event of lightning arrester failure, the `device 10 can then function to support the conductor 27 in the normal manner and a suicient insulation level will be provided by the tubular insulating housing member 14.

The insulator-arrester 10 is supported on the pole 48 by bracket 12 which has a generally U-shaped element 50 with a bight portion S2 engaging pole 48 and a pair of cantilevered arms 54 extending outwardly away from the pole with confronting curved surfaces -58 that embrace a portion of the periphery of a vertically intermediate portion of housing 14. The bracket 12 is positively secured about housing 14 by a bolt `60 which draws the curved surfaces 58 securely against the housing midportion 14. A channel shaped bracket portion 61 has the bight portion extending along the pole surface and the upper end portion embraced within the generally U-shaped bracket element 50 and welded thereto to form an integral bracket member 12. Securing the bracket 12 to the pole is a through bolt `62 which provides prime support anda pair of lag screws 64 which afford further support and positively position the bracket with respect to pole 48.

While a specic embodiment of the instant invention has been shown and described herein, it is to be understood that variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appendant claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination protective and line support insulator device for supporting a line conductor which is also supported at spaced apart points by support insulators cornprising a hollow insulating housing of suicient strength to serve as a line support insulator, housing support means for supporting said insulating housing, terminal means spaced from said housing support means, said housing including conductor support means comprising a groove in the surface of said housing for supporting said line conductor and means for securing said line conductor in said groove to said conduct-or support, wherein said line 1conductor is supported on said housing and extends transversely thereof, the distance between said housing support means and said line conductor support means being substantially equal to the height of the support insulators supporting said conductor at said spaced apart points, means for electrically connecting said line condu-ctor to said terminal means, ground terminal means spaced from said conductor support means and said terminal means, lightning arrester components disposed within said housing for connecting said terminal and said ground terminal, and means responsive to the failure of said lightning arrester components for disconnecting said terminal means and said ground terminal means.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said last mentionedmeans comprises an isolator member.

3i. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said lightning arrester components includes nonlinear resistance means and spark gap means.

r4. In combination with a conductor and a support structure, a combined line post conductor support and arrester comprising a vertically extending insulator having an axial passage therethrough and a line conductor seating groove in which said conductor is received, said groove being formed on the top surface of said insulator;

an arrester mechanism including spaced electrodes coniined within said passage, a terminal member electrically connecte-d to said arrester mechanism and presenting a contact surface in said conductor seating groove, and a tie secured above said insulator with the end portions having convolutions about said conductor at opposite sides of said insulator for securing said conductor to said insulator, a ground lead electrically connected to said arrester mechanism through the lower end of said passage; a mounting bracket isecured to said insulator about a midportion thereof; and a spring biased cable contactor disposed between and biased tolward said contact surface and said conductor.

5. The combination of claim 4 'wherein said support structure comprises a pole and said mounting bracket includes a rst portion secured to the surface of said pole, a pair of cantilevered elements extending therefrom with concave confronting insulator embracing surfaces and clamping means for drawing said -concave surfaces toward one another whereby said insulator is retained in horizontally spaced relation to said pole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,338,479 1/1944 Ackermann 317-65 2,860,210 11/19581 Stoelting et al. 20C-115 3,038,046 6/1962 Devine et al.

3,374,327 3/1968 Lawrence et al 174-139 532,101 1/ 1895 Rothenberger 174-139 838,382 12/1906 Weed 174-139 1,470,021 7/1915 Hickey 317-72 1,213,844 1/1917 Creighton 317-70 FOREIGN PATENTS 104,066 9/ 1926 Austria.

17,761 9/1912 Great Britain.

BERNARD A. GILH-EANY, Primary Examiner'.

R. L. COHRS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

